Tramper for cotton presses



N. B. HENRY.

TRAMPE'R FOR COTIONYPRESSES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 9. 192.0.

Patented Jan. 3,1922.. 4 SHEETS-SHEET i e .....UMIWHHQHI ad II I! REQ".+@E 3 ll-rll I N. B. HENRY.

TRANIPER FOR COTTON PRESSES.

APPLICATION FILED Imm. 1920.

'Patented Jan. 3. 1922.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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IIIIII IIOII IIIII N. B. HENRY.

TRNIPER FOR COITTON PRESSES. APPLucATloN FILED 1uLY9,192o.

1,402,357., Patented Jan. 3, 1922.

4 sHEEs-SHEET s'.

N. B. HENRY.

TRAMPER Foa COTTON PRESSES.

Patented Jan. 3, 1922.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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STATES NELSON B. HENRY, ATLANTA, GEORGIA, ASSIGNOR T0 THE-MURRAYCOMPANY,

0F DALLAS, TEXAS, A C

i TRAMPER FOR COTTON PRESSES.

incassa'.

Application led July 9,

To aZZ whom it may concern: A

Be it known that I, NELSON B. HENRY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Atlanta, in the county of *FultonV and Stato of Georgia,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trampers for CottonPresses, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to cotton baling apparatus and` particularly totrampers, so called, such as are employedin gin outfits to tramp or packthe loose lint as it is fed into the baling box of a cotton balingpressl in order vtocompact the same more or--less within said boxpreparatory to its compression into a bale by the press. y

Trampers for cotton presses comprise a power operated reciprocatingplunger movable into and outof the baling box, a charge of loose lintbeing fed into the baling box each time the plunger is withdrawn fromthe latter, and each charge of lint delivered into the box beinginitially Acompacted to a relatively small degree by the plunger'whenthe latter is moved forward into the baling box. @ne type of cottonpress tramper heretofore provided has requiredv the constantattentionand services ofan operator to manually control the movements ofthe plunger into and out of the baling box, which-was objectionable.Other. types of trampers heretofore provided have been so constructedthat the reciprocating movements ofl the plunger into and out of thebaling box were automatically controlled, and while these forms did notrequirethe constant attention and service of an operator they wereobjectionable for the reason that their construction and mode ofoperation required the provision of automatic means, operating -in timedrelation to the movements of the plunger, for positively and quicklytransferring a charge oflint to the baling box each time the plunger waswithdrawn Vfrom the latter, with the result that automatic trampers ofthis kind as heretofore constructed have been.. objectionablycomplicated as well as expensive to build.

My invention has for its object to improve the construction and mode ofoperation of trampers for cotton presses andi particularly to providean, automatically operating tramper which will not require the. use inconjunction` therewith of automatic lint feeding mechanism such as `iustreferred to.

Specification of Letters Patent.

OR-PORATION OIE' TEXAS.

Patented Jan. 3, 1922. 1920. Serial No. `394,925.

To these ends my invention consists of a tramper for cotton presseshaving the features of construction and mode of operation set forth inthe following description and particularly pointed out and defined inthe claims at the close thereof, it being uuderstood, however, that I donot limit my invention to the specific embodiment thereof herein shownand described.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a front elevation of a tramp'er for cotton pressesconstructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation, partly broken away, of the tramper shownin Fig. l.

Figure 3 is a section on line 343 of Fig. l.

'Figure 4 is a section on line 4 4 of Fig. l.

Figure 5 isa front elevation of the plunger hereinafter referred to. ..1

Figure 6` is a side view, partly broken kaway and in section of theupper portion of the plunger shown in Fig. 5.

The plunger A of my improved -tramper, see Figs. 5 and 6, is made with ahead consisting of a pair of blocksfl, l, to the under sides of whichare fastened a plurality of slats, 2. Thebloclts l, l, of head A arebolted tov the lower ends of four vertical channel iron bars, 3, whichconstitute the stem or shank of the plunger. The bars 3 are arranged intwo pairs and are connected intermediate their ends by struts a whichhold the two4 pairs of bars rigidly parallel. At their upper ends thetwo bars 3 of each pair are connected and held in position. relatively,by, a cap 5, bolted tc said bars.

Pivotall'y mounted at 6 between the bars 3 of one of said pairs is a dog7 which cooperates withthe chain, presently to be referred to, and witha latch 8,the latter being pivotally mounted at 9 between the bars 3 ofsaid pair, immediately above dog 7. The inner arm of latch 8 isweightedso that it normally tends to engage the dog 7 while whichisdisposed between onev pair of bars 11o (lud 3 and is pivotally connectedtherewith by means of a bolt 14, while the opposite end thereof occupiesa position between the other pair of bars 3 and is yieldingly supportedby a shock absorbing spring, 151. rlhe spring 151 is mounted within apocket provided in a bracket 16 fastened by bolts to said' bars 3. Thisbracket 16 is made with a slot V17 that is occupied by the end Yofabutment blocks 23 within which the bars 3, constitut- Y ing the stem ofthe plunger A, are mounted -to slide vertically. vl/weights 24,connected by cables 25 with the head of the plunger A, counterbalancethe weight of said plunger and support the latter against gravity, saidcables extending upwardlyfrom the weights 24'and over sheaves 26 at. theupper end of the frame from which sheavesV they pass downwardly throughtheA channel irons 20 to the head of the plunger A.

Near their lower ends the channel irons 2O have angle irons 27rivetedthereto which rest upon and are bolted to a pair of; sills 28 bymeans of which the tremper is supported in position directlyV over thebale box (notshown) so that when the plunger AV is moved vertically inthe guide blocks 423 it is carried into and out voflsaid-box. Theweights 24 are preferably arranged within tubular housings-29 mounted attheir lower ends upon the sills 28. l Y, y i

The transverse bars 21 which connect the upper ends of the channel irons20 are angle irons, each having a` horizontal disposed flange to theunder side of which is bolted a hanger 30, said two hangers supporting ashaft 31 having fixed thereon two sprocket wheels 32. Around eachsprocket wheel 32 passes endless' chain 33'which extends downwardlyaround another sprocket wheel 34. The two lower sprocket wheels 34 areloosely mounted upon two axially aligned studs 35'mounted in housings 36bolted to the outer sides of the upright channel irons 20, the innerendsl of the studs35 being separated as shown in Fig. 3 so as toV leavebetween them aV passageway for the abutment bar 15 which occupies aposition between the two' chains 33 and moves vertically with theplunger A back and forth past the studs 35 when .the tramper is inoperation. The hub of each sprocket 34has secure-d upon it a gear 37driven by a pinioni38, the. two pinions 38 being fast on a shaft 39 thatis continuously driven by a belt, not sllOW'Il, engaging a pulley 40fast on said shaft Alongside of the fixed pulley 40 is provided a loosepulley 41 onto which the belt can be shifted when it is desired to stopthe machine. f e

The two chains 33 are connected by a single long pintle 43 upon which ismounted a Yroller 43, and when the machine is operatingthis roller istravelling continuously in the endless pathof the chain in the directionindicated by the arrow in Fig. 1.

During the upward movement` thereof roller 43 engages the dog 7 andthrough the latter acts to lift the plunger, the latch 8 serving to holdthe dogagainstswinging upwardly upon itsv pivot 6 until the outwardlyprojecting arm 42 `of said latch strikes the tripping abutment 13. Thelatch is then swung out of engagement with dog 7 thus disconnectingtheplunger from the travelling chains and allowing the roller 43 to passbeyond said dog leaving the plunger supported in its uppermost positionby the weights 24.v VVhen latch 8 is thus tripped to effect thedisengagement of the dog 7 and 'roller 43, the latter continues upwardlyaround the sprockets -32 from which latter it passes downwardly intoengagement with the bar 15 through which it now .acts to push theplunger into ythe balingA box. As soon as the plunger starts to descendthe latch 8 falls by gravity into Vposition behind dog 7 again. A A l YThe plungerA is moved downwardly by the endless chains through theengagement of roller43` with bar 15, as described above, until roller43' passes under the lower` sprocket wheels 34. In passing around thelower sprocket wheels 34 the roller 43 leaves the bar 15 and again picksupftlie dog 7 through which it acts to raise the plunger luntil. thelatch 8 again engages the latch tripping abutment 13. Y

Thus the plunger actuating'chains 33, 33, which are Vcontinuously inmotion act, through the means described, to automatically andintermittently reciprocate the plunger, each period of rest of thelatter occurring at the completion of the yupward or outward strokethereof, vwhile the roller 43 is travelling from dog 7 to bar 15. Thisis a feature of my invention for the reason Vilo that the plunger *islcaused to remain at rest l for a period of time while out of rthebalingboX, without stopping the continuous operation of the actuating meansfor the plunger. This period of rest of the plunger while at the limitof its outward movement allows time forxthe lint cotton to slide bygravity or otherwise into the bale box and dispense with the necessityof special means to feed the cotton lint intorthe box during a com- VCII fingers or travelling aprons are used t put the lint cotton into thebale box they have a bad eiiect on the bat and in some instancesmaterially aiiect the appearance ot the cotton sample.

Theoretically, there should be a slight pause in the movement of theplunger while roller 43 is leaving bar l5 and moving toward dog 7, butin actual practice the resiliency of the cotton exerts an upwardpressure against the bottom of the head of the plunger which eliminatesthis pause or at least causes it to be unnoticeable and negligible.

Obviously it is within the scope of my present invention to depart fromthe specific details of construction herein shown and described. Forexample the dog 7 and latch 8 may be mounted upon the chains 33 androller 43 upon the plunger, if desired, the mode of operation of themachine remaining the same as that of the specific form of mv inventionabove described.

lVhat I claim is:

l. A tramper for cotton baling presses, comprising a frame; an endlesschain mounted for revolution in said' frame; means to continuouslyrevolve said chain; a plunger mounted in said frame; means carried bythe chain and plunger to connect the parts to lift the plunger; a stop`upon the frame to disconnect the chain and plunger at a predeterminedpoint; connecting means carried by the chain and plunger, spaced fromthe first connecting means to connect the parts to lower the plunger,after a predetermined idle travel of the chain.`

2. A tramper for cotton baling presses comprising a plunger; a dog,movably mounted upon said plunger; a latch movably mounted upon saidplunger and cooperating witli said dog; a frame; an endless cliainmounted Von said frame and adapted to engage the dog to retract theplunger; means continuously operating said chain; means 'for trippingthe latch to free the dog from the chain when the plunger reaches thelimit of its outward movement; and means on the plunger engaged by thechain to move the plunger in the opposite direction after the plungerhas remained at rest in retracted position for a period of timefollowing the tripping of said latch.

3. A tramper for cotton baling presses comprising a vertically movableplunger; means counterbalancing the weight of said plunger; a dogmovably mounted upon said plunger; a latch movably mounted upon saidplunger and coeoperating with said dog; a frame; an endless chainmounted on said trame and adapted to engage the dog to raise the plungerinto retracted position; means continuously operating said chain; meansfor tripping the latch to free the dog Jfrom the chain when the plungerreaches the limit of its upward movement, and means on the plungerengaged by the chain to eii'ect the lowering of the plunger atter thelatter has remained at rest for a period of time following the trippingof the latch.

It. A tramper for cotton baling presses comprising a plunger; a dogmovably mounted upon said plunger; a latch movably mounted upon saidplunger and co-operating with said dog; a frame; an endless chainmounted on said frame and adapted to engage the dog to retract theplunger; means continuously operating said chain; means for tripping thelatch to free the dog from the chain when the plunger reaches the limitof its'outward movement, and an abutment on the plunger that is engagedby the chain to move the plunger in the opposite direction after saidplunger has remained at rest in retracted position for a period of timefollowing the tripping of the latch.

qln a tramper for cotton baling presses, comprising a frame; anactuating chain mounted for movement'in said frame; means to actuate thechain; a plunger; a standard upon the plunger, constituting a stem,within the trame; an actuating element carried by the chain; an abutmentbar carried by the stem and crossing the path of the actuating elementon the chain; all combined to cause movement of the chain to move theplunger by contact with the abutment bar.

Signed at Atlanta, Georgia, this sixth day of July, 1920.

NELSON B. HENRY.

